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On immigration, politicians embarrass

Editorial board, Republic | azcentral.com
5:41 a.m. MST June 16, 2014

Our View: Posturing on the border crisis won't solve anything.

The crisis caused by a surge in Central Americans, including many children, crossing the border illegally is an opportunity for posturing by politicians.(Photo: Michael Chow, Michael Chow/The Republic)

Perhaps it is a temptation too great to resist. There is a crisis on the border, one angering the right and the left. Politicians must pontificate.

But must they continue to embarrass this state?

First there was Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery threatening to bring child-neglect charges against federal employees if they left unaccompanied minors at a bus station. There are no reports of this happening, but Montgomery looked tough to the anti-immigration crowd.

Or as tough as someone flailing at and missing a pinata can look.

Swinging just as desperately was Attorney General Tom Horne. He suggested he would sue the feds to stop trafficing undocumented immigrants. It takes a wildly imaginative reading of the law to use it the way Horne proposes.

The various Republican candidates for governor all took their turns at posturing, criticizing President Obama (a sure applause line), decrying the unguarded border (ditto) and insisting they would put a stop to the transfer of children to Nogales if they were elected.

No they wouldn't, any more than Gov. Jan Brewer has been able to. The Border Patrol is neither breaking the law nor abusing its authority.

But there remains a crisis at the border. Central American children are pouring over the Rio Grande. Hundreds are being housed in a Nogales warehouse, under conditions that may or may not be humane. Wild rhetoric won't solve this.

Give credit to U.S. Sens. Jeff Flake and John McCain for pressing the right questions about this operation — and insisting the press be allowed to see the conditions at the warehouse.

Transparency and accountability are the keys to solving this. At least we have two statesmen who understand that.